Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1887-11-03
WOMAN'S DEPARTMENT.
A CHANGE OF DRESS.
Some Women of Paris who Have Adopted
Maln a AIIira-A Chnnra for IIIe H..iier.


Gus by advocating such II change,
which, she contends, is a necessary
preliminary to the emancipation of
women from restraints that fatally
handicap them in their competition with
men under the opportunities afforded
by modern civilization. The New York
Sun, in a lengthy editorial on the sub
ject, observes that the dress of women
has already been assimilated in many
respects to that of men, and so far as
the change has gone it has unquestion-
ably been for the better. Instead of
the paper-soled shoes of generation
ago, women now wear the heavy soles
which are as requisite to their health as
they are to the health of men.
They no longer trail the pctticOats of
their gowns along the pavements or
tire themselves by holding them up as
they walk abroad. Underclothing
adapted to the changes of the tenn
perature is worn by both sexes, though
the time was when women suffered for
the lack of it in order that their fig
ures might seem the more ethereal.
Overcoats in cut not much unlike
those of men are now adopted by
women, and the jersey jacket of the
sailor has been deservedly popular
among them for several years. They
also have affected tailor-made gar
ments fashioned after those of the
male sex, and sailor-hats and Derbys
worn by them are, in all respects, eX-
cept it may be so far as trimming
goes, the same Us those obtained by
men at their hatters. Something ap-
preaching a masculine waistcoat has
also become frequent part of wom-
ems attire, and collars and cravats
little different from those of their broth
ers have been adopted, the material of
their garments, too, being often the
same rs that used by the tailors for
men.
All this, observes the writer in the
San, has been a sensible change, for it
has increased the comfort and adapt
ability of the garments worn by wom-
en-, and has not lessened their beauty;
while the full dress in which they ap-
pear of an evening was never more
artistic than it is now. AS the pro-
cesses of manufacture have been per-
fected, and rs chemistry has provided
greater variety of tones and colors,
the fabrics worn have become more
beautiful, and the opportunities fol
striking and harmonious combinations
have vastly increased. Yet these si2
French women would cast aside all that
art and science have done for the
identifying of the materials and fol
making more @sthetically satisfactory
the fashioning of their garments. L
the conventional European dress O
men, which they would substitute fol
that worn by women, were the bes
that could be devised for n human be-
ing, there might be practical justifica
ton for its adoption by both sexes
even at the sacrifice of beauty. If i
were better adapted to all wcather
and all occupations than the flowing
robes of women, it would be more har
mohious with the requirements of thi
active age.
But men themselves cry out agains
its inconvenience and its unsuitabilit,
to their occupations. Trousers are b.
no means the ideal garment even fo
masculine wear, and it is the trouser
which more especially distinguish tn
male from the female attire in ou
Western civilization. Something re
sembling knickerbockers would b
much more suitable for men than trou
sers, and if the six French womeI
really want to benefit the human spe
cies they had better let them organic
movement against trousers rathc
than undertake to put trousers on tn
sex not now forced by convention t
wear them. The ChiRese costume fo
men is better, and if women are dis
satisfied with their present attire the
would be wiser to adopt that, wit
notifications, which would satisfy the
love of beauty. 1t is flowing and
admits of variety of color and m;
terial impossible under the convention
of the European dress for men.
In conclusion, the writer adds tn;
"if women continue to compete wit
men in all except few of the il
dustries of the world, they must max
some change in their present costum
or else permanently suffer from man
fest disabilities; but that is no reaso
why they should initiate masculine a
tire as it is in the West. Let the
rather use their inventive capacity
devise dress more convenient ar
more beautiful, or rather which,
some extent at least satisfies the In